Valve's 15 October 2026 Steamworks update introduces Achievement Sets and a rebuilt editor for both upcoming and released games. For small teams maintaining DLC or seasonal content, the useful distinction is between archiving an obsolete unlock and deleting it.
Organize without replacing unlock calls
The official announcement says existing API names and unlock calls remain compatible: organizing existing achievements into sets does not require a game or SDK update. Sets can represent DLC, characters or modes, each with separate completion progress.
The editor adds CSV and image import/export, bulk reassignment, generated grayscale locked icons and missing-localization warnings. Developer-only sets allow testing before players see the new content. The current documentation still labels Achievement Sets beta; do not assume the behavior is final.
Retire content carefully
Archiving preserves achievements for players who earned them while excluding missed archived unlocks from completion requirements. Deletion instead removes an achievement for everyone. Valve also warns that archiving does not change your game: stop awarding retired achievements in the game's own logic.
DLC-set unlocks are restricted to players who can play that DLC, and do not count toward base-game completion. Before making changes, use the editor's preview and check names, icons and translations. Editor changes remain in the app's draft configuration until explicitly published from Steamworks' Publish tab. Wumbo Games has not tested this workflow or modified a live game's achievements.
Original sources
- Steamworks Development — Updated Achievement System, October 15, 2026 UTC
- Steamworks — achievement sets, archiving, preview and publishing rules
Release plans and availability can change. Check the original source for the latest information.